Which Vitamin Is Biotin
No wonder people get in a muddle about biotin. Health science classifies this vitamin in not one or two, but THREE different ways:
Vitamin H isnt strictly a vitamin in itself. Instead, it refers to a family of B-complex vitamins that convert food into energy.
As for B7, this is a water-soluble vitamin helping digestive enzymes to metabolise fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
Still with us? Phew!
Finally, theres vitamin B8, which is known for its role in maintaining skin and hair follicle health.
We need to get this from supplements or foods, as it isnt produced in the body.
Can You Increase The Anagen Phase For Hair Growth
How long the anagen phase lasts depends on how long your hair is and if the cells in your follicle base are continuing to multiply and become hair cells. Hair grows because matrix cells shed some of their structure as they reach the upper follicle. The shed structure combines with keratins to form hair strands that exit your skins surface.
Researchers are still looking into what triggers our bodies to turn on the anagen phases. But there are steps you can take to promote healthy hair during the anagen phase.
Biotin For Hair Growth
Biotin helps in the production of keratin, a protein that makes up your hair, skin, and nails. Because of this, many companies tout biotin for its ability to help with hair growth, but there is very little research on the relationship between the two.
“What we usually do in clinical practice is recommend biotin for people with dry, breaking hair, or brittle nails,” says Olga Bunimovich, MD, a dermatologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
What the research says: Only one 2012 study found that women with thinning hair significantly benefited from taking a supplement containing biotin compared to women taking a placebo. Another 2017 review of biotin for hair loss found that the vitamin may benefit those with a biotin deficiency, but there was little evidence to support whether taking biotin aided in hair growth in healthy individuals.
People may be deficient for various reasons, such as:
- Pregnancy
- Alcoholism
- Biotinidase deficiency , a rare genetic disorder that prevents your body from recycling its biotin. It is incredibly uncommon in the United States with only 1 in 75,000 babies born with BTD.
Symptoms of a biotin deficiency progress gradually over time and can include:
- Lethargy or depression
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Safety And Side Effects
Before you start taking nutritional supplements, its a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider.
Even natural supplements have the potential to cause side effects and over-supplementation with certain vitamins and minerals can lead to health problems.
Many healthcare professionals caution against taking supplements unless you have a specific nutritional deficiency.
Fortunately, there is no evidence that biotin is toxic in humans at high intake levels. Even studies involving daily intakes up to 50mg per day failed to produce symptoms of toxicity.
Though biotin hasnt been shown to have any risk for adverse effects, daily use hasnt been tested for safety in pregnant women, nursing mothers, or children.
If you have a medical condition or youre taking medication, talk to your healthcare provider about the potential risks for side effects and drug interactions before taking biotin supplements. Its always better to be safe than sorry.
Biotin Benefits For Hair
Biotins main benefit for the hair, when its in a shampoo, is its volumizing effect. Biotin can bind to the hair shaft in a way that fortifies and bulks it up. This is why biotin shampoos have such a quick volumizing effect, even though in the long term it doesnt necessarily contribute to hair health.
However, as a whole, biotin shampoos absolutely do make the hair healthier! This is because biotin shampoos are usually very well formulated. They tend to be sulfate-free, which is excellent for keeping the hair from getting dry while still keeping it clean.
Biotin shampoos also usually include other B vitamins, like moisturizing panthenol and antioxidant niacinamide. They may also contain polymers or starches that help add volume to the hair even more. If you have brittle, dry, or thin hair then a biotin shampoo will absolutely help.
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What The Research Says About Biotin And Hair Growth
Keratin is a basic protein that makes up your hair, skin, and nails. Its clear that biotin improves your bodys keratin infrastructure. But beyond that, researchers arent really sure what biotins role in hair or skincare is.
Research on the effects of biotin on hair growth is very sparse. To date, theres only limited evidence to suggest that increased biotin intake may help promote hair growth.
In reviewing studies such as the two provided below evidence is inconclusive that biotin influences hair growth as supplements taken contain not only biotin but other ingredients as well. The improvement in hair growth cannot be attributed to the biotin alone.
For example, in one 2015 study, women with thinning hair were given an oral marine protein supplement containing biotin and other ingredients, or a placebo pill twice per day for 90 days.
At the beginning and end of the study, digital images were taken of the affected areas on the scalp. Each participants hair was also washed, and any shed hairs were counted.
The researcher found that women who took an MPS experienced a significant amount of hair growth in the areas affected by hair loss. They also had less shedding.
Can Men Take Biotin
Yes. Studies on biotin for poor growth show that it is helpful for thin hair that affects the entire scalp. However, Androgenetic alopecia affects a specific area of the scalp and therefore is better treated with a DHT Blocker.
Nevertheless, biotin is good to take along with a DHT Blocker to support faster and thicker hair growth. Learn how biotin for men can help to reduce hair loss and bald spots and promote hair growth below.
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Top Biotin Tablets/pillls/supplements For Hair
Some of the most popular biotin pills brands for hair growth include
Does Biotin Really Help Your Hair Stay Healthy
You probably didnt even know the word biotin before you started researching hair loss treatments, but now were going to guess youve become quite familiar. It feels like every other product these days has biotin in it, every other influencer or forum swearing its the miracle cure. This vitamin has been touted as a natural way to improve everything from strength to thickness, and has become very popular in hair-related products and treatments.
But does biotin actually work to prevent hair loss? It can be hard to sort the actual science from someone just telling you what you want to hear so youll buy their product, so we did the work for you to figure out what biotin can actually do to help, and where you might want to pair it with more proven methods in the journey toward the hair of your dreams.
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Take A Dht Blocker With Biotin For Androgenetic Alopecia Or Male Pattern Baldness
Biotin doesnt affect the levels of DHT and therefore, it does not address the hair loss seen in male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. It does however been proven to help promote hair growth. Using a DHT blocker along with biotin may provide faster growth and fuller, healthier hair. Heres why:
Hair loss caused by androgenic alopecia, better known as male pattern baldness, is caused by either high levels of dihydrotestosterone or greater sensitivity of the hair follicles to DHT. These conditions affect hair growth in a specific pattern hair loss on the top of the scalp at the vertex and at the front of the hairline. Biotin supplementation on its own wont help these conditions. The cause of these conditions is DHT.
DHT plays a role in supporting growth of axillary, pubic, and facial hair. However, high levels of DHT can cause hair follicles on the scalp to shrink, resulting in thinning and hair loss. The hair follicles at the front and the crown of the scalp have the most receptors. Therefore, they are usually affected first, leading to the recognizable male pattern baldness.
DHT blockers have been found to be the most effective in this form of baldness. These often work by inhibiting or reducing the amount of 5-alpha reductase. This enzyme converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. This creates a natural imbalance as DHT attaches to the same receptors as testosterone more easily and for longer periods of time.8 Some common natural DHT blockers include:
How Much Biotin Do You Need For Fuller Hair
As with all supplements, consult a medical professional before beginning any vitamin regimen. However, taking at least 240 mcg of Biotin for hair growth daily , in combination with a clinically proven hair growth supplement formula, may help nourish hair follicles and promote the growth of existing hair.
There are few side effects generally reported with oral Biotin supplements, especially when taken in recommended dosages. As with all vitamin supplements, consult a doctor before beginning a new supplement, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
There are some anecdotal reports of increased cystic acne with Biotin, especially in the first few weeks of beginning it. However, any acne generally fades as your body adjusts to the added nutrition from the supplements.
All in all, there is strong anecdotal evidence as well as scientific substantiation for the efficiency of Biotin for hair growth. Biotin plays an important role in healthy hair growth, especially as part of a proven hair growth supplement formula that includes marine extracts, Vitamin C, Zinc and Iron. If you doubt that your diet provides you with enough of the nutrients you need to have healthy looking hair, consider taking a drug free, clinically proven hair growth supplement like Viviscal Extra Strength.
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Recommended Biotin Dosages During Supplementation
There is currently no recommended daily supplementation strength for Biotin, since most people get adequate amounts from their diet.
That being said, the common strengths seen in supplements claiming to help with hair, skin, and nails and studies on the supplement tend to range from 2mg-5mg . Studies have also looked into dosages as high as 10mg-50mg daily and found no adverse effects.
If you are trying to settle on a good Biotin supplement dosage for you, consult with your doctor and the supplement package in order to make your decision.
Biotin For Hair: Benefits And How To Use It
In This Article
We’ve all seen it on our feeds: An influencer with an impossibly thick and shiny head of hair, who took to the caption to attribute their enviable locks to a bottle of biotin supplements. Over the last few years, biotin has exploded in popularity, sought after for its alleged ability to boost the health of nails, skin, and of course, hair. As with many trends on social media, however, the reality of the situation is not so simple. So to separate fact from promotional ad, we reached out to hair experts Gretchen Friese and Angela Phipps.
Meet the Expert
- Gretchen Friese is a BosleyMD certified trichologist.
- Angela Phipps, DO, ABHRS, is a medical advisor to HairClub.
Keep on reading to find out what they had to say about what biotin canand can notdo for your hair.
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Does Onion Juice For Hair Loss Work
Science shows that there are many ways onion juice can help with hair loss. For one, onions are high in dietary sulfur, a nutritional element our bodies need.
Sulfur is found within amino acids, which are components of protein. Proteins and especially keratin, which is known to be sulfur-rich are needed for growing strong hair.
When added to the hair and scalp, onion juice can provide extra sulfur to support strong and thick hair, thus preventing hair loss and promoting hair growth.
The sulfur from onions may also help promote collagen production. Collagen in turn helps the production of healthy skin cells and hair growth.
Its also believed that onions may boost circulation. Applying onion juice to the hair and scalp could increase blood supply to hair follicles, which in turn improves hair growth.
There have been studies on how onion juice prevents hair loss, but not on its other benefits.
A 2002 study attempted to put onion juices hair loss science in action. The group who washed their hair with onion juice experienced more hair growth than those who washed it with tap water. Men also appeared to experience a greater benefit than women.
However, the study is over a decade old, and not all subjects completed the test. More research is needed into how onion juice works and if its benefits are significant. Nevertheless, many more recent studies and reviews of natural hair loss treatments reference the study as reliable evidence that onion juice can be helpful.
How Much Biotin Supplements Do You Need For Hair Growth
Biotin supplements have become a popular beauty supplement for those looking to improve their hair growth. A balanced diet can provide you with all the biotin your body needs, but people with rare biotin deficiencies can benefit from additional biotin supplements.
So exactly how much biotin supplements do you need for hair growth? Because the effects of biotin supplements for hair arent fully studied, its unknown how much you need before you start to see significant changes to your hair. But should you decide to take biotin supplements, heres what you need to know.
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Is Biotin Essential For Preventing Male Hair Loss
In short, no. While biotin has proven benefits for hair growth in people with biotin deficiencies, it doesnt have any effect on male pattern baldness. MPB is hormonal and genetic, and biotin, as a vitamin, simply isnt involved in the male balding process.
Like we said above, this doesnt mean its a bad idea to supplement with biotin. Just dont expect it to regrow your hairline and reverse male pattern baldness.
If youre struggling with hair loss and wondering what products are proven to work, there are a few FDA-approved, science-backed options available to help slow or stop male hair loss.
One of these options is finasteride, which works by inhibiting the production of 5-Reductase, an enzyme that converts your bodys testosterone into dihydrotestosterone , which is linked to hair loss.
The other is minoxidil, which is a vasodilator that encourages blood flow to the areas on your scalp that need it most.
Weve covered both of these options in more detail in our blog, Minoxidil vs. Finasteride, including the science behind how theyre both proven to work.